Aircraft Vs Thread 4

[Phyrox]

More fun. Worlds largest helicopter?

Largest helicopter still flying/in operation. Not the Largest.

I think I have an image somewhere on my computer that compares scaled images of the Mi-26 (largest operational helicopter) the CH-53 (largest helicopter in the West) with the V-12 (largest helicopter ever).

Ah, here it is:

edit: the image has the CH-53 labeled as an "E" model, when it is a "D"...not much difference though.

Edited August 26, 2007 by Phyrox

[Smiley424]

Funny article I saw on Yahoo news Rich Russian tries to buy B-52

[kalvasflam]

Funny article I saw on Yahoo news Rich Russian tries to buy B-52

Should've negotiated the prices up to 1 billion, make sure the critical gears (weapons and such) are not onboard. Then turn around, and buy 4 F-22 with that money.

[HoveringCheesecake]

I have an opportunity to ride in a B-24. Dunno if I want to, though.

[Nied]

I have an opportunity to ride in a B-24. Dunno if I want to, though.

Oh you do.

[Apollo Leader]

I agree, it's a rare opportunity. TAKE IT!

[HoveringCheesecake]

I think I'll pass on this one. The plane in question is the CAF's B-24, and I looked around the inside today. It's an older model that is missing the turrets, one of the waist guns, and the bomb bay doors aren't on it right now. The inside is neat, don't get me wrong, but I'd rather fly on a B-17G or a B-29. I guess Fifi (the B-29) usually travels with the B-24, but it is having its engines replaced right now. Damn.

Edit: Well, I guess they don't give rides on the B-29, but damnit I want to see that beast.

Edited September 2, 2007 by meh_cd

[Nied]

I think I'll pass on this one. The plane in question is the CAF's B-24, and I looked around the inside today. It's an older model that is missing the turrets, one of the waist guns, and the bomb bay doors aren't on it right now. The inside is neat, don't get me wrong, but I'd rather fly on a B-17G or a B-29. I guess Fifi (the B-29) usually travels with the B-24, but it is having its engines replaced right now. Damn.

Edit: Well, I guess they don't give rides on the B-29, but damnit I want to see that beast.

An old warbird is an old warbird. Sure a B-17 or B-29 would be cooler but a ride in a B-24 is nothing to sneeze at. Maybe I'm missing something here but what you're doing sounds like winning a million dollars in the lottery but turning it down because sometimes the jackpot gets up to four or five million and you'd much rather get that.

Edited September 2, 2007 by Nied

[HoveringCheesecake]

An old warbird is an old warbird. Sure a B-17 or B-29 would be cooler but a ride in a B-24 is nothing to sneeze at. Maybe I'm missing something here but what you're doing sounds like winning a million dollars in the lottery but turning it down because sometimes the jackpot gets up to four or five million and you'd much rather get that.

Keep in mind, this isn't exactly free. If I won a ride then sure, I'd go.

Also, there was a B-17 here last year and that was offering rides as well. I assume there will be another one at some point in the future.

[Apollo Leader]

Since you're talking about the CAF's flying B-24, at some point during it's life it was turned into some sort of VIP transport or something. It no longer has a bomb bay and on the side of the fuselage where it's bombay was, there are windows. Let me round up some pictures I took of it at the air show I was at back last September.

[Apollo Leader]

These are a few pictures I took at that show at the Lincoln Municipal Airport. Notice the extra windows on the B-24. I took like over 1,100 pictures that day. It was a great day for an air show. I wish I would have had more time to have posted more of my pictures from that show.

Edited September 5, 2007 by Apollo Leader

[dizman]

Hey that B-24/B-17 crew flew through my town a few days ago. I had never been on a B-17 before so i figured why not lay down some hard earned cash for one helluva experience. It was really something else, got to rotate the props before takeoff, I sat behind the pilots (which was alittle uncomfterable), and once we got in the air we could walk around freely. I took a few pictures. Best part has to be when I walked up in the bombadiers position and looked out at the coast....amazing.

[David Hingtgen]

It seems that Australia's Super Hornet pilots will be trained for carrier ops, for possible future joint operations on US carriers. Hmmmmmn.

[HoveringCheesecake]

Those pictures are awesome. Know why? They repainted Diamond Lil with some godawful ugly paint scheme. The nose art is GONE.

Oh, and I know that it was a executive transport. They did say they were going to put some bomb bay doors on it. At least that is their plan. The new paint scheme is terrible though.

Edited September 3, 2007 by meh_cd

[Lynx7725]

Those pictures are awesome. Know why? They repainted Diamond Lil with some godawful ugly paint scheme. The nose art is GONE.

They did WHAT? HANG 'EM! (Not in any seriousness, just an expression of dismay.)

The nose art represented a facet of history that will likely never happen again (hopefully, it really doesn't happen again). And they painted over it? Sheesh.

[HoveringCheesecake]

They did WHAT? HANG 'EM! (Not in any seriousness, just an expression of dismay.)

The nose art represented a facet of history that will likely never happen again (hopefully, it really doesn't happen again). And they painted over it? Sheesh.

Yep. Now it is an ugly brown/green two tone. The nose art is a cartoonized version of the bomber itself.

http://www.iapa.be/gallery/displayimage.ph...um=67&pos=0

Edited September 3, 2007 by meh_cd

[flyboy]

Hey that B-24/B-17 crew flew through my town a few days ago. I had never been on a B-17 before so i figured why not lay down some hard earned cash for one helluva experience. It was really something else, got to rotate the props before takeoff, I sat behind the pilots (which was alittle uncomfterable), and once we got in the air we could walk around freely. I took a few pictures. Best part has to be when I walked up in the bombadiers position and looked out at the coast....amazing.

The Collings Foundation bombers...

I took a spin in their B-17 a couple of years ago. The great thing about their planes are that unlike the CAF B-24, their B-17 and B-24 haven't been modified (much) from their original wartime configuration, so you get a good idea of exactly what's it's like to fly in an "authentic" WWII bomber. If you have any interest in WWII aviation (huge fan, myself), I'd highly recommend taking a ride in one of these planes. It's definitely an experience worth the steep cost of entry.

...And bring a good set of ear plugs.

Edited September 4, 2007 by flyboy

[David Hingtgen]

1/5 radio control B-29, said to be the largest r/c plane in the world. (And amazingly, it didn't crash on its maiden flight)

http://www.break.com/index/worlds-largest-...-air-plane.html

[HoveringCheesecake]

Wow. That is awesome.

[Apollo Leader]

1/5 radio control B-29, said to be the largest r/c plane in the world. (And amazingly, it didn't crash on its maiden flight)

http://www.break.com/index/worlds-largest-...-air-plane.html

You mean like this big r/c B-52?

Guess they were trying to reinact that B-52 crash from 1994!

Speaking of which, there's a long video on Youtube that documents that pilot's history of showboating at air shows, practices, ceremonies, and photo ops. The guy clearly knew how to fly the B-52 to its limits, but that one particular day he pushed it way too far (too sharp of a banking turn at low speeds) and the aircraft stalled and it resulted in his death and three other Air Force officers' deaths, including one of his fellow B-52 pilots that had tried long and hard to get him grounded.

[Graham]

Went to the Asian Aerospace 2007 Expo in HK yesterday. No military planes there, but I did get to see the Airbus A380 up close, although I didn't get to go inside , as only VIPs invited by Airbus were allowed on board.

Here's a few pics.

I'm in the first one.

Graham

[kalvasflam]

Went to the Asian Aerospace 2007 Expo in HK yesterday. No military planes there, but I did get to see the Airbus A380 up close, although I didn't get to go inside , as only VIPs invited by Airbus were allowed on board.

Here's a few pics.

I'm in the first one.

Graham

Nice pictures, must be a hell of an airplane to see up close. Would be fun to finally fly in one later.

Edited September 5, 2007 by kalvasflam

[the white drew carey]

I swear I've seen a different vid of that B-29 before, only it launches a small, rocket-powered X-1 that takes off super-fast.

[Phyrox]

I swear I've seen a different vid of that B-29 before, only it launches a small, rocket-powered X-1 that takes off super-fast.

I've seen that one too, but it was of a considerably smaller B-29, it wasn't 1/5.

[Apollo Leader]

There's an r/c aircraft event that's been held over in Iowa for many years and they had a B-29 that was billed as being one of the largest r/c aircraft in the world (I think... it's been a long time since I've seen a brochure for one of these events). But I don't think this B-29 was as large as the one in the video above.

BTW Graham, thanks for the Airbus A380 pictures!

[kalvasflam]

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/boei...62B8EE9CD961%7D

And so it begins.... how much will Boeing end up like Airbus.

Well, they still have a couple of months, but if they have delays like Airbus, it will really hurt.

[Nied]

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/boei...62B8EE9CD961%7D

And so it begins.... how much will Boeing end up like Airbus.

Well, they still have a couple of months, but if they have delays like Airbus, it will really hurt.

Like I said before: Tip of the iceburg.

[David Hingtgen]

Eh---the lack of fasteners has been known for months, even years. It was an expected delay. The plane/design itself seems to have few problems. Completely different than an A380 "the parts just don't fit together" clusterf*ck. (As I mod, I could swear, but I censor myself)

On an unrelated note. 757 got problems? Sacrifice a goat to fix it!

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Officials at Nepal's state-run airline have sacrificed two goats to appease Akash Bhairab, the Hindu sky god, following technical problems with one of its Boeing 757 aircraft, the carrier said Tuesday.

Nepal Airlines, which has two Boeing aircraft, has had to suspend some services in recent weeks due the problem.

The goats were sacrificed in front of the troublesome aircraft Sunday at Nepal's only international airport in Kathmandu in accordance with Hindu traditions, an official said.

"The snag in the plane has now been fixed and the aircraft has resumed its flights," said Raju K.C., a senior airline official, without explaining what the problem had been.

It is common in Nepal to sacrifice animals like goats and buffaloes to appease different Hindu deities.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

[VF-19]

That's a pretty novel way to fix a problem with a 757. It should go into the troubleshooting manual!

A quick (and possibly very dumb) question about the B-52's engines. Why haven't they upgraded the engines to something more modern? Money, or just that it plain won't work?

[David Hingtgen]

They did upgrade. They just need to do it again.

Anyways----a further upgrade is certainly possible and has been studied many times, but nothing ever comes of it. Money I'd guess is the main reason. Until the engines literally fall apart, I think they don't see a need to replace them. Note that any retrofit will most likely be four engines. PW2037's would be a good choice, that's very similar to what's on the C-17. Or go up to 2040's. If they really wanted to keep 8 engines, they could probably use JT8D-217's----plenty of older MD-80's to get them from. JT8D-17R from 727's would be an even better fit (literally and power-wise) but really wouldn't be worth it, age/fuel-wise. But I don't even know if there's enough of those to go around---pretty rare option on the 727, and no other plane AFAIK used that version.

You'd need 4 MD-80's worth of engines for each B-52. Buying 4 larger, new engines would be easier (and more fuel-efficient and powerful), but cost a lot more.

::edit:: Hmmn. PW's page doesn't say the JT8D-200 is out of production, but I thought it was. No plane's being built that uses them AFAIK, nor has been since 1999.

[VF-19]

Ok. I knew that they upgraded the engines, but I was wondering why they haven't gone a step further. FIgured it was money. Thanks David.

[kalvasflam]

Eh---the lack of fasteners has been known for months, even years. It was an expected delay. The plane/design itself seems to have few problems. Completely different than an A380 "the parts just don't fit together" clusterf*ck. (As I mod, I could swear, but I censor myself)

On an unrelated note. 757 got problems? Sacrifice a goat to fix it!

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Officials at Nepal's state-run airline have sacrificed two goats to appease Akash Bhairab, the Hindu sky god, following technical problems with one of its Boeing 757 aircraft, the carrier said Tuesday.

Nepal Airlines, which has two Boeing aircraft, has had to suspend some services in recent weeks due the problem.

The goats were sacrificed in front of the troublesome aircraft Sunday at Nepal's only international airport in Kathmandu in accordance with Hindu traditions, an official said.

"The snag in the plane has now been fixed and the aircraft has resumed its flights," said Raju K.C., a senior airline official, without explaining what the problem had been.

It is common in Nepal to sacrifice animals like goats and buffaloes to appease different Hindu deities.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

True enough, the fastener problem was known, but the problem is that Boeing stalled until the last minute practically to tell people of a two to three months delay. Had they put it in front of the world about a month ago, it becomes less of an issue. This is exactly the kind of image problem that got Airbus into trouble. They kept stalling until the last minute to break bad news.

I agree that Boeing isn't where Airbus is half a year ago. But it's a slippery slope they're on. Even after the flight, the key question is whether they can make the ANA delivery dates.

Yeah, I saw the sacrifice goat story too... it was hilarious.

[Nied]

True enough, the fastener problem was known, but the problem is that Boeing stalled until the last minute practically to tell people of a two to three months delay. Had they put it in front of the world about a month ago, it becomes less of an issue. This is exactly the kind of image problem that got Airbus into trouble. They kept stalling until the last minute to break bad news.

I agree that Boeing isn't where Airbus is half a year ago. But it's a slippery slope they're on. Even after the flight, the key question is whether they can make the ANA delivery dates.

Yeah, I saw the sacrifice goat story too... it was hilarious.

The fastener shortage isn't the only problem they're having, it's just the one they've admitted to (and even then it sounds like they're downplaying it significantly). If the people I've talked to within Boeing are correct I'd be mighty surprised if they make the ANA delivery before the end of 2008. I probably shouldn't say more than that.

[kalvasflam]

The fastener shortage isn't the only problem they're having, it's just the one they've admitted to (and even then it sounds like they're downplaying it significantly). If the people I've talked to within Boeing are correct I'd be mighty surprised if they make the ANA delivery before the end of 2008. I probably shouldn't say more than that.

Customers are lied to on a regular basis, so I'm not surprised that Boeing has other problems. If the insides of how each company operates is actually shown, I bet no one would ever buy from a lot of these so called world class companies.

As for the ship dates, I'm sure a lot of these airliners have some draconian penalties attached to late delivery and out of specs products. (i.e. still too heavy)

[David Hingtgen]

I know United had pretty much pound-by-pound and day-by-day penalties for the 777, I'd expect no less for people who bought 787's. (luckily the 777 was neither late nor heavy)